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Home , Brian Farkas, Cecil Brockman, Deb Butler, Gale Adcock, Grier Martin, Kelly Alexander

GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STATE LEGISLATIVE BUILDING RALEIGH 27601-1096

May 20, 2021

The Honorable Governor North Carolina Office of the Governor 20301 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-0301

Re: Support for Adoption of Rules to Reduce Carbon Pollution from the Energy Sector and to Join Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Dear Governor Cooper,

We commend you for your leadership in confronting the threats that climate change poses to our State. By bringing North Carolina into the U.S. Climate Alliance and issuing Executive Order No. 80 (EO80), your administration has established science-based carbon pollution reduction and clean energy goals which are critical to ensuring that we in North Carolina do our part to help avert the worst impacts of climate change. We endorse the goals of the North Carolina Clean Energy Plan (CEP) to achieve a 70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Recommendation A-1 of the CEP resulted in a stakeholder process that identified options to achieve these carbon reduction goals. Of the options examined, joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) was identified as one of the most cost-effective pathways for North Carolina to swiftly and meaningfully reduce power sector carbon pollution. We write to urge your administration to continue the common-sense approach to reducing greenhouse gas pollution that you launched with Executive Order 80 by establishing enforceable limits on power sector carbon pollution and joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

Achieving the Clean Energy Plan’s 2030 target requires swift action. Clean Air Carolina and the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s January 2021 petition filed with the Environmental Management Commission offers an efficient and cost-effective way for the state to proceed. This petition asks the Commission to adopt rules setting declining pollution limits for carbon dioxide from the electric power sector that are consistent with the goals of EO80 and the CEP.

Letter to the Honorable Roy Cooper Page 2

The pending petition would have North Carolina participate in RGGI, a collaborative program of 11 other east coast states participating in a proven, cost-effective program for reducing power-sector carbon pollution, while stimulating economic growth and improving public health through improved air quality. As you know, Virginia has most recently joined RGGI, and rulemaking is underway in Pennsylvania that would bring that state into the collaboration as well. Early in the Murphy administration, New Jersey took the necessary steps to join RGGI. The recent movement of states to join RGGI has set the stage for North Carolina to do the same.

We often hear from our constituents about the impacts they are already feeling as a result of climate change, and their desire for North Carolina to act. Climate change is already impacting the health, natural resources, and economy of our state – as evidenced by more frequent and severe storms and erratic weather patterns impacting the North Carolina way of life from mountains to coast. Every month we delay is another month lost in the race to reduce carbon pollution and secure a brighter, safer future for each and every North Carolinian.

We would be happy to meet with you or your staff regarding the opportunity presented by the petition now pending before the Commission, and we look forward to working with you to accelerate North Carolina’s transition to a clean energy future. As always, we shall continue promoting legislative climate and clean energy solutions and are ever wary and watchful of harmful legislation that would threaten to set our state back or create new barriers to the critical progress we must make in securing a safer, healthier, and more prosperous future for North Carolina.

Sincerely,

Representative Representative Graig Meyer House District 61 House District 50

Representative Representative House District 41 House District 115

Representative Representative House District 107 House District 29

Representative John Autry Representative Amber M. Baker House District 100 House District 72

Letter to the Honorable Roy Cooper Page 3

Representative Representative Mary Belk House District 49 House District 88

Representative Representative Terry M. Brown House District 60 House District 92

Representative Representative House District 18 House District 102

Representative Ashton Wheeler Clemmons Representative Linda Cooper-Suggs House District 57 House District 24

Representative Allison A. Dahle Representative Terence Everitt House District 11 House District 35

Representative Representative Susan C. Fisher House District 9 House District 114

Representative James D. Gailliard Representative Terry E. Garrison House District 25 House District 32

Representative Rosa U. Gill Representative Charles Graham House District 33 House District 47

Representative Representative Zack Hawkins House District 105 House District 31

Representative Representative Howard J. Hunter House District 103 House District 5

Representative Representative Verla Insko House District 63 House District 56

Representative Abe Jones Representative House District 38 House District 104

Representative Carolyn G. Logan Representative Marvin W. Lucas House District 101 House District 42

Representative Representative House District 99 House District 34

Representative Representative Amos L. Quick House District 30 House District 58

Letter to the Honorable Roy Cooper Page 4

Representative Robert T. Reives Representative William O. Richardson House District 54 House District 44

Representative James Roberson Representative Kandie D. Smith House District 39 House District 8

Representative Raymond E. Smith Representative House District 21 House District 71

Representative Brian Turner Representative Julie von Haefen House District 116 House District 36

Representative House District 23